


I Promise To Take Care Of You

by CrypticGabriel



Series: DDLB Sheith [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Age Play, Age Play Caregiver Allura (Voltron), Age Play Caregiver Iverson (Voltron), Age Play Caregiver Shiro (Voltron), Age Play Little Keith (Voltron), Age Play Little Matt Holt (Voltron), Daddy Kink, Discussion of kinks, Implied Sexual Content, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Military Background, Military Backstory, Nightmares, Non-Sexual Age Play, Past Relationship(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trans Keith (Voltron), depictions of war, discussion of fetishes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 09:35:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20374603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrypticGabriel/pseuds/CrypticGabriel
Summary: Before treatment, Shiro felt like he didn't deserve to live. But after starting to recover from his trauma, he still felt like something was missing in his life and treatment. Allura, his friend from work, decides to introduce him to her lifestyle to see if that will give him just what he needs.Through that is how he meets Keith.





	I Promise To Take Care Of You

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER:  
Keith is 21, Shiro is 31 in this fic.  
Massive trigger warning: Daddy Kink is heavily used in this AU, as well as age play.  
There's a lot of stigma around the CG/L community, so I want to just make something perfectly clear for the context of this story. Despite being in a DDLB relationship and implying these dynamics through terms like "little boy" and "boy" as descriptors, they are both consenting adults and see each other as consenting adults above all else.  
Any comments suggesting anything or making any accusations related to the elements in this fic will be ignored/removed.
> 
> Also, Shiro has never been with a trans person before Keith, but Allura helps educate him on things he doesn't understand. There's no implications that he was previous anti-trans. He just learns to develop a better concept of intersectionality.

_Shiro had never thought that he _would become the happiest man on Earth. But he found his happiness through personal acceptance and the love of his life.

Fourteen years ago, Shiro thought he knew what he wanted. He wanted to go on adventures and see the world through a different lens. His idea of doing that was enlisting. He quickly became a well decorated soldier that everyone feared.

He was stationed on and off for eight years. He had no stability nor a place to call home, but he liked it that way.

Everything changed one fateful early morning. A wrinkle in time and just the right amount of distance between himself and the landmine was what saved his life. But it destroyed several others. How could he say that he was lucky to be alive when an unlucky amount of his friends and comrades were dead?

For many years, he thought he didn’t deserve to live.

When the official PTSD diagnosis came back, he should’ve guessed it was coming sooner or later. Well, it did take him five years to seek help. He tried to feel better about himself. He tried showing his potential at work, and therapy was working out for him. But something was missing. And he didn’t feel this way because of the several medications he was taking.

He had no luck finding that, until…

\--

_“Hey, Shiro!”_

_Shiro looked up from _the breakroom table. Allura happily waved to him, and Matt was with her too. Allura was among the social elite within their workplace, but she was always as sweet as can be.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing,” she smiled. “But I think I have a solution to your problem. And Matt and I are here to help.”

“Wait.” Shiro frowned. “…What problem?”

“You said the other day that despite the resources you had for support, you still felt like you needed something. Like… something was missing, I believe?”

He gulped. “Oh yeah. Y-you remember that?”

“Yep,” she smiled. “But the point is, I think I know how I can help.”

He was still royally confused. “I’m not sure if I’m following.”

Matt decided to intervene. “What I mean—er, what _we _mean is that you can relieve your trauma and find a new coping mechanism in a healthy way through our lifestyle.”

Shiro blushed. “O-oh. I’m flattered… Allura, you’re a great person, but I’m not attracted to women.”

“No, not with _us_, specifically,” Allura laughed. “Matt and I are part of a caregiver group. We all met online and talk to each other about our relationships and what we do for our partners.”

“Wait.” He pursed his lips. “…Caregiver group?”

What the hell was a caregiver group?

“Caregiver and Little relationships. Have you ever heard of that before?”

“I… can’t say that I have.”

Matt looked a little shy, then. “Well, I can tell you a lot about Littles. They’re people that like to pretend they’re a different age. And they can do that for a number of reasons. Destressing, coping mechanisms, you name it.”

“Like… pretend they’re children?” He blinked. “Isn’t that a little weird?”

Matt started to shrivel and looked at Allura. “Maybe we shouldn’t have asked him.”

“No, hang on,” Allura said. “It may sound strange, but it’s a valid coping mechanism. But I don’t think being a Little is right for you. You seem like you’ll be better suited as a caregiver. They’re exactly like they sound, and they’re acting as ‘parents’ to their Little. It helps build a special bond that most feel like they’re lacking. It’s mostly platonic, but some relationships are also sexual.” She then pointed to herself. “That’s what it’s like for me. I’m what they call a ‘Mommy Dom.’ In your case, you’d be a ‘Daddy Dom.’”

“So, is this like a BDSM type of thing?”

She pursed her lips. “Hm. I guess it could be. But it depends on the person.”

“But wait,” he frowned. “Why me? Even Matt thinks that maybe I shouldn’t really know about this stuff.”

“It’s not that he thinks that. He’s just worried that you’re judging him.”

“I’m not really,” Shiro insisted. “I just have never really heard of this before.”

Allura smiled. “I understand. And I’m telling you all this because I know a couple of people that have PTSD that are also part of the caregiver and little community. And being able to have this lifestyle to cope has really helped them feel much better. And I think it will help you, too.”

“You really think so?” He wasn’t sure what to think. Could something as obscure as being a “caregiver” truly be what he was missing?

“Absolutely,” she insisted. “Now, how does the idea of being a caregiver make you feel? Someone comes to you, and they need you. You take care of them and give them whatever they need. You make sure they’re on their best behavior, because they should always use good manners and understand what it means to be a good Little. And in return, they love and respect you. But at the same time, you two will form such a special bond that nothing will ever break.”

“I don’t know…” He bit his lip. “I like the idea. But what if a Little won’t want to be with me? I’m so… destructive and broken.”

Matt quickly shook his head. “No way. Shiro, you’d be a great caregiver. Anyone would be so happy to be with you.”

“I’ll tell you what.” Allura smiled. “Every Saturday night, we meet at the Altean Bar from seven to nine. Come with us this weekend. You can meet all kinds of different people there.”

“Yeah, join us!” Matt smiled at him.

Shiro was still unsure, but he was surprised that they even cared this much at all. Maybe he could try it out. There wasn’t any harm in going for one night. He took a deep breath. “Okay… O-okay. I’ll go.”

“Great!” Allura grinned. “I know you’re going to love it. And don’t worry, we’re all confidential. Our secrets are safe between the three of us.”

He didn’t even consider that a possibility before, but he was relieved to hear that nonetheless. “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

Their break was over, so Matt and Allura started to leave. Shiro followed slowly behind them. He thought about it over and over.

_A caregiver…_

\--

_He showed up that Saturday. Allura _and Matt were all at the front door waiting for him. They were at this popular, queer friendly bar, so Shiro felt relaxed enough to let his guard down a little. A private area was available for everyone attending the meeting. There were so many faces he didn’t know that he felt overwhelmed. Would they accept him?

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.”

“You’ll be fine,” Allura smiled and took his hand. “Just stick with me in the beginning, if you’re nervous.” She led him over to a group. They were all seated and dressed in nice suits and dresses, looking collected and inviting. “Hey, everyone.” Allura smiled. “This is Shiro, the guy I’ve been telling you all about.”

Shiro sputtered. “Y-you talk about me?”

She completely ignored him and started introducing him to everyone sitting down. They were all Caregivers that had their own Littles, and a couple were looking to meet one, too. The Littles in their group were all talking among each other closer to the entrance of the room.

The last person Allura introduced him to was a man that she mentioned also had PTSD. His name was Mitch Iverson, and after Shiro was introduced to him, he was more drawn to him than anyone else in the group. Allura was right. It was better being near someone who knew what he went through.

“I was a prisoner of war,” Iverson told him. “I was treated like I was nothing for months. After I was free, I had horrible nightmares. I was just so afraid of going back to this feeling I had that was associated with my time imprisoned.”

Shiro’s heart was racing. He hated having those nightmares and flashbacks, too. But there was something he didn’t understand. “What feeling, Mr. Iverson?”

“You know what I mean,” he insisted slowly. “Men like us… men that have seen what we saw and have done the things that we did. We’re not the same, bright-eyed boys that we were when we first enlisted. You and I both know that. And deep down, we got that feeling. Are we still human, or are we empty shells?”

Shiro went cold. That was it… that thing he felt like he was missing! He still felt like an empty shell, just like Iverson described.

“And that’s why being a caregiver helps me. Someone depends on me and counts on me to protect them. I then don’t feel so empty anymore. Being with my Little reminds me that I am still human. I’m still capable of love and being loved. I can still feel empathy. I can take care of another person. I’m capable of being in relationships and keeping them, and I’m not void of affection.”

He was stunned. “That… that’s what I feel like I’ve been missing, too.”

“Well, being a Caregiver can absolutely help you with that.” He smiled. “You may not find the perfect Little right away, but when you do, you’ll feel human again. Even on your worst days.”

He felt convinced, smiling as he nodded his head. “Okay. I’ll give it a try.”

\--

_Shiro took those words to heart. _By the next week, he found a Little that he thought was absolutely perfect. He loved him and took care of him, and he felt complete.

However, it wouldn’t last.

He had a horrible nightmare one night, a flashback from his time in the war. He was surrounded and egged on, now disarmed. He was stabbed, and he tried to run and escape with all his might. He was just not strong enough.

“…Daddy?”

The faint echo was drowned out by the screaming and shouting of his attackers.

He felt a hand suddenly touch him. They grabbed him! They were going to torture and kill him, but he still had a chance to escape. He quickly turned with a fire burning in his eyes. He raised his right fist and was ready to attack.

“D-Daddy, stop!”

When Shiro blinked, he was in a dark room—his room. And underneath his hovering fist was his Little. His _baby!_ He was about to hurt his baby! This was the fourth time this happened, where he scared his Little with another nightmare. But he was mostly so disoriented after having them that he thought he was still dreaming.

“Oh…” Shiro paled. “B-Baby Boy, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to try and hurt you. I’m sorry—”

“Don’t touch me!” he sobbed. “Y-you said you wouldn’t do this again! You were going to hurt me!”

“No—please, I’m so sorry…” Shiro was starting to cry. This was just starting to be a good outlet for him, and he blew it! “I’m… just a really bad Caregiver. I’m sorry.” He wiped his eyes. “Y-you should go.”

He didn’t have to tell him twice. He left that night. Their relationship lasted two months.

Shiro knew that his Little was getting more and more afraid of him, and he just ruined his own chances. He could go and spread to others that he was a bad Caregiver, and he wouldn’t even try to deny it, even if he could. So, he stopped going to the weekly meetings at the Altean Bar and decided that maybe being a Caregiver just wasn’t right for him. He was horrible at it, after all.

Four months after his break-up, he went to his support group like always. But at this meeting, he saw a new face. He was used to new people coming and going, but this time it was different. He was a young man, no older than twenty. He was the most handsome guy he’d ever seen.

His name was Keith.

\--

_“You met someone?”_

_Shiro sheepishly rubbed _the back of his neck. “Yeah. His name’s Keith. He’s a little younger than I am, but he was sweet. Very modest, too.” He looked down nervously when Allura started grinning widely. “But nothing’s going to happen between us.”

“Takashi Shirogane, if you’re going to use that experience with your ex as a reason you can’t find love again, I will turn your metal arm into a pipe!”

He gulped. “Well, it’s not just that, Allura.” He shuffled his feet. “This is actually why I wanted your help. You see… I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but… he’s trans. He came out to me after the meeting. He didn’t seem that happy about doing it either, so I feel bad saying something to you right now.”

Allura pursed her lips. “…Okay? What’s wrong with that?”

“N-nothing,” he said quickly in defense. “There’s nothing wrong with that at all. I-it’s just… trans guys are just attracted to girls, aren’t they?”

She deadpanned. “Trans men can be gay, too. Just like trans women can be lesbians. Shiro, you know damn well that sexuality is a vast spectrum. Did he give you any indication that he was straight?”

“W-well, no…” He frowned. “He just seemed… afraid of me, before he came out to me. It gave me that feeling I had before giving up on being a Caregiver.”

“You don’t have to give up just because you haven’t found the right partner yet…” She trailed off and deflated. “So, Keith is still very much a man. Genitals don’t determine gender identity. You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course, I do,” he insisted quickly. “But in either case, I’ve never been with a trans guy before. Even if I do go out with him, I know nothing about vaginas.”

She sighed. “Shiro, you’ve got so much to learn.” She patted his shoulder. “And an important lesson to understand is that not everyone feels the same way about words to describe their genitals. What some people embrace could also trigger someone else’s dysphoria. So, don’t call Keith’s parts whatever you think of right off the bat. You should always check in with him.”

“Okay…” He frowned. “But why are you telling me all this?”

“You needed my help, right?” she asked. “It’s because it sounds like you really like him. I want to see this work out. And I know I’m your friend, but if you are disrespectful to any trans person, I will slug you.”

She absolutely would.

“P-point taken.”

“And also, if you call it a vagina around Keith, he may or may not punch you in the face.”

He didn’t know Keith very well, but he was very certain that he would. “Right. But what should I do? I really like this guy. The last thing I want to do is upset him or trigger his dysphoria.”

She shrugged. “Everyone is different. I know bisexual and pansexual people don’t see it as an issue. It’s common, though, for some gay and straight people to not be as open-minded about gender and sex being different. But you already have a good grasp on that.” She smiled. “Say, why don’t you try looking at trans images? Outside of work, of course.”

Shiro blushed darkly. “Why?”

“Because I think it’s a good idea to determine your attraction. Some cis gay men are not comfortable with the idea of being with trans men. And that’s okay, to an extent. But, if you’re worried that you won’t think a trans man’s body attracts you, you’ll want to see at least a couple pictures before asking Keith out. If you really like him, you don’t want to not be attracted to his body. And you shouldn’t go in without knowing what to expect. Don’t break this boy’s heart.”

“I won’t,” he promised. “Okay. “I’ll do it. After work.”

He did stall for a couple hours after coming home from work. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. He knew he really liked Keith, but maybe being worried that he’d find his body weird to look at made things worse.

He found a porn site that hopefully wouldn’t give his laptop malware. It felt awkward trying to look up porn with the terms “trans man” and “ftm” in the search bar. Was he being exploitative? What if this idea didn’t even work?

He then found a video. The thumbnail showed a trans man pleasuring himself with a Hitachi wand. He didn’t expect to feel horny, but he did have a slicked fleshlight right nearby, just in case. In the porn star’s place, he imagined that it was Keith.

Upon watching it, he felt like he had a sexual awakening. He unfortunately had to admit that seeing the man’s genitals for the first few seconds looked strange to him, but he decided that the reason was because he’d never really seen them that much or that close before. The man really was handsome, with such a big grin on his face while he stared at the camera and his hand was pressing the Hitachi wand hard against his cock. It really was attractive to watch.

But damn, was it a bitch trying to clean his fleshlight out after.

After that night, Shiro knew he had strong feelings for Keith. They may never be reciprocated, but he liked to dream. In a moment of weakness, however, he thought about what it would be like to have Keith as his Little. He squashed that fantasy down immediately. He couldn’t be a Caregiver. It was foolish to pretend that he could be one.

It was after he invited Keith to his birthday party that Allura confronted him again.

“You should really try to be a Caregiver again. Times have changed. Maybe you’ll find someone that will really understand you this time!”

He sadly shook his head. “Allura, I can’t. I’d absolutely want to try, but I’m not cut out for it. I don’t want to hurt another Little.”

“Oh…” she sighed. “Well, if you ever go back on the forum site, you might see someone that would be the absolute perfect one for you. He’s so polite, too!” She took out her phone. “Listen to this lovely comment: ‘Ms. Allura, you are absolutely stunning! If I wasn’t on here to look for a Daddy, you’d be the perfect Mommy for me. I’m glad I saw you in my recommendations, and I hope you have a wonderful day.’” She gushed some more. “What a cutie! You should send him a request.”

He chuckled. “What’s the profile name?”

“You’re gonna love this,” she grinned. “He named himself ‘XOMarmoran_CutieXO.’ His name on his profile is K.”

_K? _That was too much of a coincidence.

“Maybe I’ll check it out later.”

He only said that to drop the subject. He didn’t check until the night of his party. He now was beating himself up over waiting this long. K looked way too familiar for him to keep making excuses. Could Keith really be a Little? It was like what Iverson said. They were meant for each other…

When he finally accepted Keith’s request, Shiro’s life had changed forever.

\--

_Shiro and Keith did more than _just complement each other. They both knew their strengths and weaknesses. Keith needed a father figure that was there to spend time with him and give him the affection he craved. Shiro wanted to feel like he was still the same man that enlisted and had big dreams of helping others. He was still that same man and still capable of feeling and nurturing. They were made for each other platonically, and they quickly fell passionately in love.

They had some setbacks because of Keith’s dysphoria and Shiro’s self-doubts, but nothing could destroy their special bond. The ultimate test, however, came the night that they were first sleeping together.

Shiro hadn’t had a nightmare like this in a long time. The flashbacks were so real. He was reliving the worst times and experiences he ever had. Some of them he dared not to speak of or repeat.

With a pained shout, Shiro sat straight up in the bed. He was drenched in sweat, with the blankets sticking to his body. Keith was sleeping naked beside him. Was he still dreaming?

Shiro’s lip quivered as he looked down at his sleeping lover. He was afraid to check if this was real. If he was still dreaming and he tried waking Keith up, he’d seriously hurt him. He didn’t want to lose him. He didn’t want to relive the horrible break-up he’d had all those months ago.

“Hm?” Keith started to stir sleepily. “What’s going on?” As he woke up more, he took Shiro’s hand. “Daddy? …Shiro? What’s wrong?”

Shiro started to flinch his hand back, afraid to touch him. “Keith, I… I-I don’t know where I am. I think I’m still dreaming.”

Keith looked so understanding. He reached out and gently touched his face. “Shiro, you’re home. You’re in your bed, safe and sound with me. This is all real.”

He gulped and shifted closer. “I-if I touch you, I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

He leaned close and kissed his forehead. “You’d never _ever _hurt me. We’re both safe… You can hold me. We’re safe here in bed.”

Shiro finally started pulling him closer, a sob being ripped out of him. “Keith…”

“It’s okay…” He felt Keith bring Shiro’s face to his shoulder, and he nuzzled him there while Keith rubbed his back. “Everything’s okay, Daddy. Nothing can hurt you anymore. It’s okay.”

He held him tighter on his lap. “Oh, I love you…” He sniffled and kissed his shoulder. “I love you so much, Baby Boy. Thank you.”

“I love you.” Keith smiled and kissed his lips.

They really were made for each other. Shiro never thought that he would become the happiest man on Earth. If anyone told him fourteen years ago that this was where he’d be today, he’d just look forward to the moment that he could be with the love of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on twitter: @cryptic_gabriel


End file.
